Fatty liver is associated with advanced fibrosis but does not predict adverse outcomes in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Hepatic steatosis is increasingly common and has been implicated in progression of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We aimed to investigate the impact of hepatic steatosis on liver fibrosis and clinical outcomes in CHB patients. Consecutive CHB patients who underwent transient elastography between 2013 and 2017 at a tertiary hospital were included in this longitudinal cohort study. Presence of hepatic steatosis was defined as controlled attenuation parameter, CAP ≥ 248 dB/m, while advanced liver fibrosis was defined as liver stiffness measurement, LSM ≥ 9.4 kPa. Cardiovascular events, liver-related complications, malignancy and mortality and a composite of these outcomes were evaluated with Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards regression. Our study cohort included 614 patients with median follow-up of 45 (32-63) months. Hepatic steatosis was present in 294 patients (47.9%), and advanced liver fibrosis was present in 127 patients (21.0%). Presence of hepatic steatosis (OR: 1.956, 95% CI: 1.250-3.060) and diabetes mellitus (OR: 3.507, 95% CI: 2.069-5.944) was independently associated with advanced fibrosis. Advanced fibrosis was independently associated with composite outcome (HR: 2.496, 95% CI: 1.352-4.606), liver-related complications (HR: 3.765, 95% CI: 1.380-10.271) and mortality (HR: 3.632, 95% CI: 1.342-9.826), but not cardiovascular events and malignancy. Hepatic steatosis was not associated with any adverse outcomes. We conclude that hepatic steatosis is common and associated with advanced fibrosis in CHB patients. Unlike advanced fibrosis, hepatic steatosis does not predict adverse outcomes in CHB patients.